In this day and age, it is kind of amazing when a new action figure is released without any prior announcement or fanfare. Just reveal, order, and ship, all within a couple of days. It’s a small and rare thrill that I would champion to see more frequently, to be honest. So, when something like that can also be my favorite figure of the year, that is pretty darned special.
That’s right, the figure unexpected and completely unlooked for, but also something I never knew I wanted so badly takes the crown for me this year: The Four Horseman Studios Figura Obscura Headless Horseman. Don’t get me wrong, I love The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as the original written story by Washington Irving, but also in several incarnations. So, getting such a lovely action figure of such a scary and memorable character is a lot of fun, and the influence from that original story through the lens of the talent of the Four Horsemen has made for winning combination.
I love that they were able to use some pre-existing Mythic Legions parts to set a base for this, but kept it true to its own mythos. The multiple display options with various heads (and NECK MEAT!) and weaponry allows you to make it your own. The soft goods cape is lovely, and oh – you a damned HORSE with it as well. You cannot have a Horseman, not matter how headless, without a horse, right?
The presentation in the box with art by Nate Baertsch is top notch as always, and this SCREAMS for a companion piece of Ichabod Crane (and his horse Gunpowder) to be offered next year. Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge. This release caught me totally off-guard, and I have fallen hard for this grotesque beauty, so this release is absolutely deserving of my favorite of 2022.
The Figura Obscura brand continues to expand (we got Father Christmas and the Krampus for the winter holidays), and would love to see future holidays explored (could you imagine New Year’s Eve with a reaper???) and would be over the moon if other stories like The Legend of King Arthur or Robin Hood could find their way into a line like this. So many possibilities! For now though, I am going to cherish this Headless Horseman – he’s amazing.
Oh, and here are the rest of my Bests for the year that was.
